Spray guard for outboard motor boats



A ril 8 1952 w. D. COLSTON 2,592,011

' SPRAY GUARD F OR OUTBOARD MOTORBOATS Filed April 19, 1949 jzzaz 021 Patented Apr. 8, 1952 OFF ICE SPRAY GUARD FOR OUTBOARD 'MOTOR BOATS William David Oolston,.Maywood, Ill.

Application April 19, 1949, Serial No. 88,362

2 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in guards for outboard motor boats.

My invention relates more particularly to a guard to prevent spray or water churned up by the outboard motor from splashing or being blown into the boat over the sides of the same.

Ordinary row boats and other boats to which outboard motors are attached usually have the backboard to which the motor is clamped, a seat in the end of the boat and sloping side walls which round into the bottom, the top of the side walls normally having only a finishing rail or gunwale around the top of the same.

When the water is turbulent or the motor propeller is churning up water, the same is often splashed into the boat, wetting people sitting in the boat and gradually filling up the bottom of the boat with water.

The guard which I have provided is for the purpose of eliminating this annoyance and discomfiture. The guard is adapted to be easily attached to or detached from the boat, and when in position affords a shield against which the Water may splash, thus preventing it from entering the boat. Due to the construction of the 'same it is easily adaptable to boats of various sizes and shapes so that the inner edge of the splash guard can be firmly secured against the outside surface of the sides of the boat throughout its length.

The advantages and features of the invention will be more apparent from the following description wherein reference is had to the accompanying drawings on which Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a row boat to which my splash guards are attached;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the same;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view showing the manner in which they are adaptable to the curva: ture of the sides of a boat; and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line a-li of Fig. 1.

In the embodiment of the invention which I have chosen to illustrate and describe, in Fig. 1 I have shown a row boat in having the backboard l2, seat l4 and side walls I6 and IS. The usual row boat normally has the side walls curved and ending in a flat bottom 20.

An outboard motor M is usually fastened to the backboard l2 by means of a clamp 24, the drive and propeller P normally being generally positioned below the lower edge of the boat ill.

The spray guards which I provide are usually positioned upon both sides of the boat [0 and may generally comprise a pair of flat resilient shield members '40 preferably constructed of rigid rubber or similar material capable of bein fiexibly fitted to the contour of the sides of a boat.

Referring particularly to Fig. 4, the shield members '40 may be held in a fluid-tight relation against the sides l6 and 18 :of the boat by means of one or more clamp members '42,, each of which has an arm 44 extending downwardly into the shield member 48, terminating in a metal brace member 46 which extends throughout the length of the shield.

The brace member 46 may be welded or otherwise secured to a plurality of the clamp members 42 and is capable of being flexed so that when molded into the flat shield members 40 it can be fastened against the outer edge Of the side walls of a boat and make a fluid-tight seal throughout its length.

The clamp 42 may have the cross-bar 50 adapted to extend over the top edge of the gunwale of a rowboat with a downwardly extending leg 52 having a boss '54 therein through which a thumb screw 56 may be positioned. The thumb screw 56 is provided with acap '58 to press against the inner side of the side wall of the boat, with the leg 44 extending downwardly on the outside of the boat holding the inner edge of the shield in frictional and fluid-tight engagement with the side of the boat.

While I have illustrated and described a specific embodiment of the invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made in the exact details shown. For example, while I have shown the brace 46 as being of a comparatively thin, vertically disposed metal, it is obvious that this may be in the form of, a rod if desirable, or, in

"a comparatively large splash guard, several rods or braces may be employed. Further, in the drawings I have shown the splash guards as applied only to a portion of the sides of a boat, and it will be obvious that the same may extend the entire length of each of the sides of the boat if desirable, it being onlynecessary to provide additional clamp members distributed throughout the length of the splash guard.

* I claim:

1. A splash guard for a row boat having arouate side walls, said splash guard comprising a generally flat and elongated semi-rigid rubber member having a horizontally extending base, said member having an embedded spring metal brace vertically disposed and extending throughout its length, whereby the member may be fastened against the arcuate side of the boat, a plurality o1 clamp members attached to said brace for holding the edges of the splash guard against the arcuate side of a boat in a water-tight manner, each of said clamp members comprising a. U- shaped bracket having one leg extending upwardly from said brace through the top of said splash guard and spaced from its edge, the other leg being shorter and adapted to extend over the side wall of the boat, and screw means on the bracket for fastening said bracket to the wall of said boat.

2. A splash guard for a row boat having arcuate side walls, said splash guard comprising a generally fiat and elongated semi-rigid rubber member having a horizontally extending base,

said member having an embedded spring metal brace vertically disposed and extending throughout its length whereby the member may be fastened against the arcuate side of the boat, a plurality of clamp members attached to said brace for holding the edges of the splash guard against the arcuate side of a boat in a water-tight manner, each of said clamp members comprising a U-shaped bracket having one leg extending upwardly from said brace through the top of said splash guard and spaced from its edge, the other leg being shorter and adapted to extend over the side wall of the boat. and screw means on the bracket for (fastening said bracket to the wall 0! said boat, the first mentioned leg of said bracket having a horizontal bar connecting the lower end of the same to the side of said metal brace.

WILLIAM DAVID COLSTON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 141,609 Vail Aug. 5, 1873 411,255 Newburg a Sept. 17, 1889 461,759 Koch Oct. 20, 1891 804,155 Morse Nov. 7, 1905 1,100,739 Ipacs June 23, 1914 1,332,930 Steinmetz Mar. 9, 1920 1,465,033 I Williams Aug. 14, 1923 1,587,710 Fiala June 8, 1926 1,782,868 Deetjen Nov. 25, 1930 1,843,874 Hulst Feb. 2, 1932 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 374,088 Great Britain June 2, 1932 

